how it actually happened

"home?"

She rushes to me, scooping me out of the man's arms. “My baby!! Oh gods your home!!” I start crying as she grabs me. I hide my face in her chest, tears soaking her shirt. She hugs me tight, I swear she wont let me go. Soon enough the guys in blue leave and she sits on the couch, wrapping me in a blanket. It's soft, fuzzy, like the fur we used to have. I nuzzle my face into it, feeling every fiber of the soft fake fur. When I finally focus back on her, she seems to be on the phone. She left the room for the call… i wonder who it is

I sneakily get down from the couch, peeking around the wall, listening in on her conversation. “He's home marcus. Fritz came home.” she's in disbelief, i can hear it in her voice. “I don't know how. I came home from work and the door to the fridge was open. I thought someone was in the house so I called the cops. They got here, searching the whole house. They almost didn't find him. But then they looked in the basement and there he was, hiding in the shelves.” remembering it all, i know i could have hid better but there was no time. “I've reached out to the other parents. Gabe, Susie, Michael. They're all back. Well… except jeremy…” 

I hear the name and remember the face. The smiling boy from all the playdates and sleepovers. Jeremy… my bonnie. I look down feeling myself tear up, the image of him crushing me replaying in my head, my screams. And then hearing his voice… whatever's going on, he's still in there and im- “fritz? Everything ok hun?” I hear mom ask and I look to her. She's kneeled down next to me, hands on my shoulders. I nod slightly. Then out of nowhere my stomach growls, loud and ferocious. I look to it, touching it. She rubs my arms in a comforting way. “You must be hungry huh? Who knows when the last time you ate was.

She proceeds to fix me a whole meal, spaghetti. It was my favorite before… well… you know. I absolutely devour it, soaking in every second of the delicious taste and even getting seconds. She then takes me upstairs to get me clean, washing my hair, cleaning my body, and getting my fresh pajamas. Afterwards, she dries my hair and we curl up in her bed. She turns on a movie and I lay my head in her lap. “Mom?” I ask as I start to fade into sleep. “ Yes baby?” she replies, stroking my hair, only adding to my sleepiness. “Home?” i look up to her as my eyelids get heavy and close “yes baby. Home.” she finally says and i fall asleep.